I love getting bride or groom submitted posts on LVW. Why? Because of the details and the stories! Today’s elopement comes directly from the bride herself, Bethany, who married her husband Thomas in Las Vegas this spring. They combined their marriage with their honeymoon!

The couple were wed at Chapel of the Flowers, and then headed out with photographer Bently & Wilson for some post ceremony photos around the MGM gardens and grounds and then further down the Strip. When they arrived home in western Pennsylvania as husband and wife they had a cake and cocktails reception to celebrate with friends and family!

Bethany, the bride writes: “We chose to get married in Vegas because not only we are a very non-traditional couple (my engagement ring is a blue topaz with pink sapphires for example) who weren’t really interested in doing the big church wedding, we also wanted it to be just the two of us. The other challenge we faced was our schedules, I’m currently in nursing school and my husband is active duty Army reserve. When we sat down and compared calendars it turned out we had one week in May where we had no other obligations, we knew we wanted to do our wedding/honeymoon all at once and what better place than Las Vegas!”

The chic little peach lace dress Bethany is wearing came from TJ Maxx for the whopping price tag of just under $19.99!

And Bethany’s #1 tip for other destination Vegas couples? “…do what makes you and your husband-to-be happy and follow your hearts! Tom and I had a lot of people question us wanting to get married in Vegas and why we wanted it to be just the two of us. We stuck to our guns and couldn’t be happier with the choices we made! Our wedding was everything we could have dreamed of and more!“